New Delhi: Speculations are rife that Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi who announced his resignation from Rajya Sabha today in a surprise move may contest for upper house from Gujarat, the state where by-polls for two vacant Rajya Sabha seats will take place this month. Though active in politics in West Bengal, Trivedi is originally a Gujarati from Kutch in Gujarat. Trivedi has been Lok Sabha member from West Bengal and union railway minister in the past. Trivedi is considered one of top faces of Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal, the state where the assembly election is going to take place this year and chances of BJP coming to power are high.

Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi announced his resignation in parliament today. His Twitter account briefly vanished after his resignation. Trivedi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha last year by his party; he was a Lok Sabha MP from Barrackpore but had lost the 2019 parliamentary election and had reportedly felt sidelined in the party since. He was defeated by Arjun Singh, a former Trinamool leader who had joined the BJP.

“Tthe kind of violence that is happening in Bengal, it is a threat to democracy. I feel very strange sitting here. I think of what I should do. I think of Rabindranath Tagore. Obey party discipline? Of course, but I feel stifled. My soul is saying I sit here and say nothing, what is the point? I resign,” Mr Trivedi said in the Rajya Sabha.

I am personally in agreement with this. The way forward is to let our young talented mind innovate, create and distribute wealth. Pay Govt levies, create jobs. For that, our Govt officers (babus) too, need to encourage the youth . https://t.co/iyDIP6NR4D

— Dinesh Trivedi (@DinTri) February 10, 2021

“We are here only for our motherland. I am grateful to my party for sending me here,” he said, adding that he wanted to go back and work for his state. Shortly afterwards, he handed over his resignation to Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

Trivedi had a day ago tweeted praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in parliament: “I am personally in agreement with this. The way forward is to let our young talented mind innovate, create and distribute wealth. Pay Govt levies, create jobs. For that, our Govt officers (babus) too, need to encourage the youth.”

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today said that the decision on who would contest on two seats of Rajya Sabha in Gujarat will be taken by the Central Parliamentary Board of the party. He said BJP has 113 MLAs in the State assembly against 65 MLAs of Congress and the party is all set to win both vacant Rajya Sabha seat comfortably. Rupani said, Congress may not even field its candidate for any of two seats, as they are certainly not going to win. The last date of filing nominations for Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat is February 18.